Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, on Wednesday, ordered that Emefiele should be immediately released to his lawyers.
The Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, bail.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, on Wednesday, ordered that Emefiele should be immediately released to his lawyers.
Justice Adeniyi however charged Emefiele’s lawyers with the responsibility of producing him in court for his arraignment next week or at any other day.
The judge ordered Emefiele to deposit his passport and travel documents before the chief registrar of the court, pending his arraignment.
Justice Adeniyi further pointed out that Emefiele should not be detained in perpetuity without trial.
The court noted that Emefiele had been detained for 151 days, adding that the Nigerian Government and the Attorney General of the Federation must obey the rule of law.
The substantive motion on notice as well as the preliminary objection, were adjourned to November 17 for hearing.
Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on June 9 and subsequently arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Emefiele was first charged with illegal possession of firearms and sponsoring terrorism by the DSS.
In late October, SaharaReporters reported that Emefiele briefly regained his freedom after he was released by the DSS
SaharaReporters learnt that Emefiele who had been in DSS custody since June 9, was however picked up immediately by the anti-corruption agency Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Emefiele regained his freedom last night but he was immediately picked up by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” a top security source had told SaharaReporters.
It was learnt that the Presidency directed the EFCC to take over the case.
SaharaReporters had reported that Emefiele was suspended “sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.”
A release by Willie Bassey, the Director of Information, for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has also said, “Mr Emefiele has been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), who will act as the Central Bank Governor pending the conclusion of investigation and the reforms.”
SaharaReporters in February reported how the DSS attempted to arrest Emefiele when Muhammadu Buhari was Nigeria’s president, but the then-Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor, shielded him by providing soldiers to guard his residence and office.
The DSS had said it intensified its investigations in order to arrest and prosecute Emefiele, on allegations of terrorism financing and fraud.
SaharaReporters had also reported that Emefiele was set to be released from detention by the DSS after entering into plea bargaining with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
SaharaReporters had gathered that the non-prosecution plea bargain for Emefiele was premised upon the former governor’s willingness to return N50 billion which he had corruptly amassed.
Emefiele and his associates were set for arraignment on N6.9 billion procurement fraud at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in August but the arraignment was stalled.
Sources had told SaharaReporters that Emefiele’s arraignment was stalled because the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) was awaiting Tinubu’s approval for it after signing the non-prosecution plea bargain.
President Tinubu was out of the country at the time.
Emefiele faced 20 counts of conspiracy and procurement fraud levelled against him by the Nigerian government.
However, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, Modupe Ogundoro, denied the existence of any non-prosecution plea bargain involving Emefiele.
Ogundoro said though the legal team representing Emefiele had expressed its intention in court at the last hearing to initiate a plea bargain arrangement, no such agreement existed between the office of the AGF and the former CBN governor.